A former soldier who shot dead his one-time best friend was today waiting to hear if he will be convicted of murder.

David Robson, 47, from Durham, was living in Bridgwater, Somerset, when he shot Steve Bowden in the head in a crowded pub last October.

Robson pleaded not guilty at Exeter Crown Court to murder, but admitted manslaughter, claiming he intended to frighten his former friend but not to actually shoot him.

He told police he took a gun to the Sanford Arms in Wellington, Somerset, to "put the fear of God" into Mr Bowden.

Robson said he had "absolutely no idea" why his gun went off.

The jury, which spent yesterday considering its verdict, was sent home for the night and was resuming deliberations today.

It has heard Mr Bowden was an ex-partner of Robson's fiancee Brenda Grensted, who ran the Sanford Arms, and Robson believed he was trying to "muscle his way back in".

Robson had been living with the mother of two at her pub until he assaulted her on October 17 last year and was arrested.

Under the conditions of his bail he was banned from visiting the pub or contacting Mrs Grensted.

On the night of the killing, Mr Bowden went to the Sanford Arms before it opened and, after hearing he was there, Robson broke his bail conditions and went there.

Less than five minutes later he shot Mr Bowden in the head at point-blank range as he sat on a bar stool.

Robson told police he had no intention of pulling the trigger and said: "I went in there with the intention of putting the fear of God into him. He was trying to muscle his way back in. I could see two years of my life going down the pan.

"I'm ashamed for what has happened. I have ruined my life, I have probably ruined Brenda's life, I have ruined Steve's life and I have ruined the family's life."

In transcripts of interviews read out in court, Robson said he had loaded the gun with bullets because its chambers were visible from the front.

He said: "There's no point in putting a gun in somebody's face if he looks at the gun and sees it's empty."